Vusi Nhlapo, president of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) is not an employee, as required by the union’s constitution.
Members of South Africa’s second-largest public-sector union earlier this week claimed that Nhlapo was no longer employed as a laboratory assistant at the University of Witwatersrand, where he worked from 1983 to the end of 1993.
Ian Crowther, the university’s industrial relations adviser, confirmed that Nhlapo’s appoint- ment contract was not renewed in December. The contract had been renewed each year since 1994, when he took over as the union’s full-time president.
Crowther said the university was ”prepared to continue” Nhlapo’s appointment and was working out details.
The disclosure is the latest twist in the union’s internal power squabbles. Nhlapo had recently suspended Pumla Nkanunu, the union’s national accountant, after she was found guilty of fraud and theft involving R500 000. Fikile Majola, the general secretary, and Lindelwa Dunjwa, the treasurer, were also suspended for alleged mismanagement.
The anti-Nhlapo members say he may not hold his position because he is no longer an employee. They say this is the reason he ousted Majola, whose position he wanted. Nhlapo dismissed these allegations.
They also claim Nhlapo’s salary terms in the contract with Wits were ”highly unusual and irregular”.
But Crowther said an agreement Wits made with Nehawu in 1994 set off Nhlapo’s salary against the union’s membership subscription. Both Crowther and Nhlapo claimed that this was ”common practice”.